Barbecue Bliss

Summer: longer days, baseball, apple-pie, and grilling. Especially grilling. There is something sacred about cooking on the grill; it’s like a gateway into the season. Summer cannot, will not begin until grills start lighting! And why not? Cooking outdoors on a grill keeps the heat of preparing food out of your home. Enjoying the fresh air makes food that much more delicious. And with all the resources available at the library, there are no excuses for missing out. You can grill every day. The library offers books for every taste, whether you are a novice to the art or even if you fancy yourself a “master griller.” From burgers to steaks, from seafood to veggies, there are recipes and techniques to make even the pickiest stomachs happy. And with this much variety your taste buds will never hate you! Take a look at our quick grilling books for the last minute meals, or try your hand at more gourmet worthy treats.

Are you a purist? Learn how to become efficient at Wood-Fired Cooking with Mary Karlin. You’ll learn the basics of cooking with wood with 100 recipes at your disposal. If you prefer your gas grill, check out Fred Thompson’s book: Grillin’ With Gas 150 recipes to mull over. You can even grill desserts! In The Quick Grill Artist: Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Cooking with Fire by Norman Kolpas there is a recipe for s’more quesadillas!

Go ahead, pick up those spatulas and tongs and get cookin’! Visit our Siouxland Libraries Pinterest page for a list of some of the popular grilling books we offer for techniques and recipes. We also have some great recipes listed that are staff favorites! Place your holds and try your hands at some new recipes while learning a few tricks of the trade! What better way to enjoy our beautiful South Dakota summers?

Big Squeeze

High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 adults--many people do not even realize they have it, which is why it's often referred to as the "Silent Killer."  During the month of May, Sioux Falls residents have the chance to participate in the Big Squeeze initiative and get their blood pressure screened at sites across the city, for free!

The Main Library is one such site--screenings will be held Wednesday, May 9 from 1-5 PM and Tuesday, May 22 from 1-5 PM.  May 22 will also feature a free lunchtime learning presentation with tips on maintaining a healthy blood pressure from 12-1. Come for the information, stay to get screened! Register for the learning session here.

Also check out these titles from the library's collection for advice on keeping that blood pressure reading low:

The Blood Pressure Cure by Robert E. Kowalski
Bringing Down High Blood Pressure by Chad Rhoden
Eat this, Not That! by David Zinczenko
Healthy Eating for Lower Blood Pressure by Paul Gayler

The Big Squeeze is sponsored by the American Heart Association, Avera Health, DAKOTACARE, Lewis Drug, Novartis, Sanford Health, Walgreens, Sioux Falls Health Department, and Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. For more information about the initiative and to find other locations for free blood pressure screenings, visit www.heart.org/thebigsqueeze.

Do you "Tweet?"

Have you noticed all the pound signs (#) and “at” symbols (@) floating around social media sites like Facebook and almost everywhere on television? It seems as if every tv show out there, from American Idol to River Monsters, has one or both of these symbols making themselves at home in the corner of the screen. If you’re like me, you probably wondered what they were, but gave it little investigation.

It turns out these symbols are Twitter-related. And this Twitter phenomenon isn’t going away anytime soon! So, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned recently about this social networking tool, as I began "tweeting" for the library:

Twitter is a real-time social network designed for communities of users, businesses, even celebrities (and TV shows!) to give bits of up-to-date information through “tweets.” These “tweets” are short: 140 characters at most. Twitter is a great tool to keep your name or company relevant. And by the way, those symbols are pretty important! The @ symbol precedes a username or reply. i.e. @siouxlandlib is the library’s twitter username. And that pound symbol (#) is called a hashtag. The hash is a way to categorize messages, helping users to follow specific conversations. So, when you’re watching American Idol and see #AmericanIdol on the bottom of your screen, never fear, it’s twitter!

If you want to learn a bit more about this micro-blogging little bird, check out our library catalog for some great “how-to” books that will help to get you started . You can find some tips to get started on Twitter’s website too! And, oh yeah, be sure to follow us on twitter @siouxlandlib!

It's Easy Being Green

Happy Earth Day 2012! What acts of green will you commit to celebrate? In truth, it's the things we do everyday that make a difference, and there are more resources and ideas than ever to help you make a positive impact on the environment.

For example, if you are a library user, pat yourself on the back! You participate in a great "recycling" program everytime you check out a book. Speaking of books, our collection has tons of materials on sustainable living. Learn simple choices you can make, from shopping to traveling, and cooking to home renovation, that will put some green in your life--in more ways than one! Reusing and repurposing can have a great effect on your pocketbook (see library example above.)

Our Pinterest board on recycled crafts has even more creative ideas. Let us know what you'll be doing in honor of Earth Day!

It's National Library Week! You Belong Here...

This year's theme for National Library Week is "You Belong @ Your Library," and it's true--you do! Job seekers needing resources and computer access, parents looking for free activities for children, students researching school projects, readers in search of the next great novel, new Americans looking to improve their English language skills...everyone has a place at the library.

Libraries have often been called the "great equalizers." Our primary mission is to make educational, recreational, and cultural information available and accessible for all. Take a look at this video from Brad Meltzer, popular author and Honorary Chair of National Library Week.



If it's been awhile since you've been to the library, you may be surprised by what we have to offer. Our more than 97,000 library cardholders enjoy free access to books, DVDs, music CDs, magazines, Internet computers and Wi-Fi, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks. We welcome all members of the community to attend educational, entertaining, and informative programs and classes for all ages. We are a gathering space--many of our branches are equipped with community meeting room spaces that can be used by the public. Check us out today!

For a complete listing of National Library Week events at Siouxland Libraries, visit our website.

April is...Financial Literacy Month

April has many special designations: National Poetry Month, Volunteer Recognition Month, National Library Week...Did you know it is also Financial Literacy Month? Come to the library for these free classes offered by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Lutheran Social Services, to address a range of financial needs:

Thinking about buying a home? Attend the two-part Homebuyer Express class, which gives you information on the home purchasing process from start to finish, including goal setting, down payments, mortgage lending, and closing procedures. Participants who complete both sessions receive a certificate and may be eligible for discounts on closing costs.  Available at two locations:


Caille Library
Tuesday, April 10, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, April 14 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Register here.
Main Library
Wednesdays, April 11 and 18, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Register here.

Creating a budget and building a savings account? Try Make the Most of Your Dollars and Make the Most of Your Savings, which help you create monthly spending and savings plans to get you on the right track to meet your financial goals.

Make the Most of Your Dollars: Friday, April 13, 12-1 p.m, Main Library. Register here.
Make the Most of Your Savings: Friday, April 20, 12-1 p.m., Main Library. Register here.

Got kids? Children will be our future consumers—it’s important to teach them about the significance of money management from their early life on. Small steps now can make a huge difference later! The Raising a Money Smart Child seminar at Oak View on April 19 from 6:30-7:30 will provide tips, information, and tools to help your children become more money savvy. Register here.

High gas prices taking a bite out of your wallet? Want to start saving without sacrificing fun? Deals, Steals, and Bargains will teach you how to get the most bang for your buck in Sioux Falls (and why there’s no purchase required). Ronning Library, Saturday, April 21, 10-11 a.m. Register here.  

Call 367-8720 for more information.

Making a Difference

Don't miss an important event at the Main Library on Saturday, 3/31! It's our first ever Health Volunteer Fair, from 10 AM-2 PM. Several local organizations will be present with information on volunteer opportunities in the healthcare field. Those participating include the Help!Line Center, Lutheran Social Services, RSVP, Senior Companions, Volunteers of America, and Children's Care Hospital and School. The co-sponsor of this event, Compassionate Care Hospice, will also be on hand to talk about their volunteer program.

When you are out and about Saturday, stop by and visit with these groups. Their need for volunteers is great, and we know our community cares!